Home
by Sincerely-Vixen
Summary: For all of his life, InuYasha had been an outcast, a half-breed. For all his life, he lived guarded…that is until he found a place called home. InuxKag.


Home

One-Shot

Vixen-Virus

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Friendship.

Summary: For all of his life, InuYasha had been an outcast, a half-breed. For all his life, he lived guarded…that is until he found a place called home. InuxKag.

Inspiration: You will always be my Hero.

* * *

_Home_

**E**ver since I was young, the village children would always pick on me. They called me a _half-breed._ I despise that word, almost as much as I despise Naraku. Yeah, I was a half-breed so what? That didn't mean I wasn't still a person, a person who could feel. Who could feel my mother's tears every time I came home with new bruises and cuts. I didn't want to be responsible for my mother's pain…

I didn't want to make her cry anymore.

I had to grow up real fast, then. I wasn't allowed the pleasure of a carefree world as most kids grew up with. I was forced to take care of not only my mother, but of myself. With Sesshomaru breathing down my neck about how worthless I was, I grew up to hate everyone. You'd think I'd have a weak spot for the vulnerable, wouldn't you?

No. They should suck it up and live. I did, why couldn't they? I hated everyone. I didn't trust anyone. Trust wasn't even in my vocabulary at that point. Everyone I loved left me and everyone I could have been friends with turned their backs on me because…because of who I was.

I never felt comfortable with anyone. I never did because I knew what they were thinking:

_'Dirty half-breed.'_

_'Tainted blood.'_

_'As weak as a human.'_

_'As dangerous as a Demon.'_

In a world like that where could I belong? I wasn't human or Demon. I was me. I had to make a place for myself – and I did, I made it in life. I was strong, but... one thing - _the one thing_ that I could never get rid of…

was how lonely I was in my own world. All I had was myself. After my mom died I was completely alone. I didn't want to live like this. I didn't want to feel like this anymore. I wanted to belong. That was where _she _came in. Kagome Higurashi.

The strange girl from the future. She whined like crazy, she was always wearing things that would get others to take interest in her, - like that stupid wolf, Koga - she always had to go back home to 'study', she had the biggest bag in history and she sucked at controlling her miko powers.

And yet she was the only one I would allow to touch my heart and heal it. Kagome was my light and even though I was always so guarded, I think deep down she knew how much I loved her. Yeah, that's right: the great InuYasha just admitted he loves someone.

Shove it.

When Kagome had first asked me how I felt about being a half-breed, after we helped Jijeni, I didn't know what to say. I remember looking into her eyes, and right then, I lost all anger, and only found acceptance.

* * *

_"Kagome, let's get going, we can't stay here all day." I growled as I started walking away from Jijeni's hut. Kagome rolled her eyes and waved bye as she ran to catch up with me._

_We walked in silence for a good distance, not uncomfortably, but there was something in Kagome's behaviour that made me think she had something to say. She kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye, like she thought I didn't notice._

_"InuYasha?" Kagome finally asked. I looked over to her, raising an eyebrow._

_"Yeah?" I asked gruffly. Kagome moved to stop; I stopped a few steps after her, crossing my arms._

_"Does it…How was it like for you when you were younger...being a half-Demon?" I heard her ask quietly. My ears twitched as I was taken back at her question. The thing I liked about Kagome was that she never said 'half-breed'. At first I was angry, remembering everything I went through as a kid, but as I looked into her eyes just for a split second…I wasn't angry anymore. I shrugged and gazed out at the path before me._

_"It was hard; I'm not going to lie. But I'm here, aren't I? Another shrug. Hoping that'd be the end of it._

_Kagome was never one to take hints very well._

_"Did you…always know what a half-Demon was?" She put the syllables together slowly, like a puzzle where every piece had to fit just right. I sighed. She wasn't going to let this go._

_"How could I not? I was reminded every day of my life by the village children." I continued to stare at the path as I answered. I could already tell she was going to cry, way before I smelt the salt water. I growled, pretending not to notice, though it tugged at my heart like a piece of unbreakable fishing line, and I yearned to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything was ok._

_That line had been a part of me ever since I met her, connecting our hearts as one, and at moments like this I realized just how much force was behind it._

_"InuYasha…I'm sorry…" She was whispering. I rolled my eyes._

_"Keh. Whatever, it doesn't matter - it was a long time ago, now stop crying." I spat the words out, turning to face her. I shouldn't have; that thread pulling at my heart overpowered me and instantly I drew her into my arms. She looked so small, so unprotected and at that minute, I knew I had to be the one to protect her from the cruel world. The world I knew of so well._

_"InuYasha…I'm sorry not everyone can see what a great person you are…" So close to me, whispering against my haori. I sighed and stroked her back as the sun set. Running my fingers over her soft hair, I tucked her head under my chin._

_"Don't worry about it. Now stop crying, Kagome." I heard her sigh with a soft giggle and I gave her an affectionate squeeze before letting her go._

_And I wondered if maybe it wasn't fishing line at all, but a lifeline, pulling me towards something brighter. Something better._

* * *

I couldn't do anything when I was younger, I didn't understand the full extent of what it meant to be a half-breed. To be different - and to be powerless. I knew it wasn't a good thing, but I never understood how deep it really cut. After Kagome came, I started helping the weak not just because she forced me, but because I had finally remembered what it was like to be weak. And honestly, even though I don't like to admit it…

I would have given anything for someone to stand by me and stick up for me when I was younger.

No one ever did. Not until Kikyo, but that didn't end too great, now did it? It didn't matter. I was too angry at the world to ever let people see me for who I was. Who I am. Because of how guarded I was…people never got to truly see me. At least until Kagome forced her way into my heart, ignoring my caution signals and breaking down every wall I had created.

She showed me a world that was so much more then I had ever thought possible. She showed me what it meant to love…to laugh. I have friends now, thanks to her. I owe her everything.

I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her fully. Sure, I've saved her life on numerous occasions…but she saved me too. She saved me several times. Without her, who knows where, or even what, I'd be. Probably still stuck on that damn tree.

* * *

"InuYasha, we're going now!" Kagome waved from beneath the tree, beckoning to him. InuYasha snapped out of his stupor, looking down with a slight smirk before jumping from the branch and landing effortlessly beside her.

"Calm down, I'm right here."

Kagome rolled her eyes and started walking over toward Miroku, Sango, Kilala and Shippo.

"Gosh InuYasha, you're such a space case sometimes!" Shippo said from Miroku's shoulder. InuYasha growled as he held up his fist. Shippo recoiled as Kagome and Sango sighed.

"Now now, calm down, InuYasha. He's just a kid." Miroku laughed and he waved his hands in surrender as InuYasha began stalking forward. Sango shook her head.

InuYasha turned away from Shippo with a frown and began walking. "Come on, let's get going. We don't got all day."

"Calm down InuYasha." Kagome ran to catch up with him, the others close behind. InuYasha growled and shrugged until he felt a small hand take his. Through the corner of his eye...

He smirked seeing Kagome's hand intertwined with his, and squeezed it lightly as he strode forward.

InuYasha looked behind him to hear Miroku make some rude comment followed by Sango hitting him with her boomerang, Shippo laughing as Kilala mewled quietly; beside him was Kagome, holding his hand and laughing at her…_their _friends' antics. He couldn't help the smile that found its way onto his lips.

InuYasha's life as a child was hard, full of bullying, terror, mistrust and tears. As he grew up, he found acceptance, he found a girl who loved him for him and friends that would always be there to laugh and to fight alongside him. And in the future…

He had found a place called Home.

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A/N: You know what I just realized? I hate it when authors don't put a small A/N note at the bottom. I don't know why but I hate that, it makes it seem like they are so cold and uncaring…Lol. Maybe that's just me?

Oh and of course! Thank you to my new and pretty much the only editor I've ever had, Mayuko-Chan! Thank you so much for reading this and editing it for me!

Take care,

Vixen


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